Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, including members of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH), have few opportunities to interact with scientists conducting research in the area of cochlear technology. When available, such information for persons without a scientific background often takes the form of "summaries." SHHH seeks funding to conduct a 1-day symposium for consumers on the subject of current cochlear implant research and advances in cochlear technology. This symposium will be held at the 18th International Convention of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH), June 29, 2003, in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants will include adults with hearing loss; parents; hearing care professionals; and other consumers in the areas of education, technology, and science. Key topics that will be addressed are: an introduction to cochlear implants (CI); the impact of CI on cognitive, behavioral, and social development; language and development of implanted children; auditory plasticity; the future of CI technology; the criteria for cochlear implantation; and the importance of signal processing and learning in CI. Products will include a pamphlet announcing the symposium, open captioned videos, a proceedings document, and articles in Hearing Loss: The Journal of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People. [unreadable] [unreadable]